In conventional grid guide applications, e.g., TV channel and/program guide applications, set top boxes and/or other listing control devices often allow users to rapidly scroll through a large set of program and/or channel listings by pressing and holding an arrow key on the remote control. In known systems, once the maximum scroll rate is reached, as long as the arrow key remains depressed, scrolling through the channel listings will continue at the maximum scroll rate until the listing guide being displayed runs out of new information to be displayed and/or a user provides a change in feedback, e.g., by releasing the arrow key and/or pressing another control key on the control device, e.g., remote control.
While scrolling at the maximum scroll rate, it can be difficult for a user to read program and/or channel titles or other descriptive information. The user can easily scroll past a program, channel, and/or group of channels which may be of interest to the user. To allow a user to consider the listings, scroll rates used in current channel guides maybe somewhat limited in term of the maximum permitted scroll rate.
It should be appreciated that while a user may want to scroll through one or a group of channels corresponding to content the user is not interested in quickly. However, it would be desirable if there could be a way of drawing attention to the start of a group of programs or channels so that a user could make an informed decision about whether or not the channels should be scrolled through at the maximum rate or at some other rate which would allow for more meaningful review of the program listing information than when scrolling at the maximum rate.
In view of the above, there is a need for improved methods and/or apparatus for controlling scroll rates and/or the presentation of guide listing information to users of devices such as televisions, set top boxes, etc.